


Growing Up Milkovich

by morningmrmilagher



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Abuse, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Don't worry this isn't romantic, Explicit Language, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Happy Ending, Harassment, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Memories, Protective Mandy Milkovich, Protective Mickey Milkovich, Relationship Discussions, after that it cuts to s10 (completely fanon version of what we know so far), memories in the beginning, very soft by the end after the angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-09
Updated: 2019-11-09
Packaged: 2021-01-26 10:56:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21373009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morningmrmilagher/pseuds/morningmrmilagher
Summary: Mickey and Mandy remember some bad shit about their childhood. The beginning is memories, then it cuts to talk place in season ten! Mandy comes back to the Southside and they talk out some shit. SORRY FOR ANY FORMAT ISSUES, MY LAPTOP'S BEEN BEING A BITCH
Relationships: Mandy Milkovich & Mickey Milkovich
Kudos: 14





	Growing Up Milkovich

Mickey and Mandy were so close as kids. Partners in crime. Literally. Stealing and kicking ass since they could remember. Mickey could remember the first time he and Mandy found their dad’s smokes. Both were hooked from a concerningly young age. It seemed like they discovered everything together. Porn mags under beds which they were simply confused and grossed out by, not able to understand it yet. An array of drugs, alcohol, all that. And so many disgusting words.

They had also witnessed some horrible shit together. Saw terrible things happen to each other. Various sleazy dealers were getting way too close to Mandy one day. Mickey remembered how uncomfortable she looked and despite only being seven, took it outside with a grown man and one after one swift kick to the sack, he won. 

Mandy shanked a kid in the arm once for calling Mickey a bitch. Because of course, only she could call her brother a bitch. And Terry of course, neither of them ever dared to get into it with him. 

Almost all of their memories were bad. Even the good ones were ones that should’ve been bad. Like their first time running from the cops, hopping a fence, and getting off with that week’s groceries and no consequences. 

‘Growing up Milkovich’ as they called it. They ran away together so many times. Their longest was two weeks. Iggy and Colin were the only ones who noticed and they got off their asses to go seek them out. 

Only in their teenage years did they start using each other’s first names. As kids it was always ‘sissy’ and ‘bro’ along with a slew of other ones. 

They were always there to knock some sense into each other when they were making bad choices. Because if something was considered a ‘bad choice’ by them, it was probably pretty damn bad.

The really fucked up memories tended to be just that, no sugar coating or watering down. One of Mickey’s worst was the time Terry got so drunk he didn’t know who they were. When Mandy first yanked him into her room and said ‘block the door’ he was confused. Then when he heard death threats outside the door that sounded way more sincere than usual, he did what she said. They barricaded the door and stayed awake all night, not leaving the entire day until they were absolutely sure he was passed out.

Worst part was that it was Mickey’s tenth birthday. Easily the worst one out of them all. Not that there were any fucking amazing ones. He could probably count on one hand the number of days he had as a kid that could be classified as ‘amazing.’ 

Mandy was also there the first time he got pistol whipped by their dad. He didn’t leave his room for days, locked the door, and just pretended he was dead, silently hoping he could just melt into the bed. She hardly left his side other than to nudge him to remind him to eat, drink, and take a piss. Ever since that day, Mickey was prone to flinching and jerking away whenever he wasn’t expecting a touch. Even sometimes when he was.

Mandy became the same way. It was only a matter of time before it was her turn. Mickey was there for her the same way when it came. 

For as many tickle fights, wrestling matches, and insult battles they had, they also sat around and cursed the world just as many times. 

Just because they were there for each other through anything didn’t mean they didn’t push each others’ buttons and say malicious things on purpose. That was all they knew. Literally, all they were exposed to. Everyone at school just about refused to look at them so the only interaction they really got was at home. 

By the time they reached high school, all bets were off. ‘You fuck with my brother and you won’t see tomorrow.’ Mickey could remember Mandy saying those words as she held a pocket knife against the chest of some random senior who was probably way too old to be in high school any way. Mickey could remember the whole exchange. ‘What you gonna do?’ The guy had spat back. That’s when Many ever so shallowly pressed the knife in. Even though she barely broke the skin, he ran off, scared shitless.

By the same token, Mickey’d done the same equal amounts of times.

And now here they were, reminiscing about it all. 

Mickey had a blunt dangling from his lips which Mandy snatched up and lifted it to her own mouth. “I need it just as much as you after that shit show of nostalgia.” 

He shrugged because hell, fair-e-fucking-nough. 

It was silent for the next few moments before Mandy leaned her head over on her brother’s shoulder. “Missed you when I left, assface.” 

It took him a minute. “Missed ya too.” He finally replied. “What drove you back to this shithole. Still ain’t told me yet.”

Mandy shrugged and sat up again, melting into the couch in her tired, slightly high state. “Dunno. Think it might’ve been you and our fuckin’ Gallaghers.” She chuckled weakly. 

“Ian does have that effect.” Mickey knew it just as well. “Drove me outta jail, to Mexico, and back to jail again.” Despite what he described, there was the biggest grin on his face. “That shithead.” He said extra fondly.

Mandy nodded. She’d already gotten caught up with what happened since she’d been home last. Well...with her brother and best friend. There was one person she had been in the dark about until recently. Mickey saw her getting in her own head again. “Aye.” He elbowed her arm. “Snap the fuck outta that, you hear me? Better dudes out there than him. You really stuck after all these years?”

It was crazy how Mick was pretty much a mind reader with her. She knew Phillip goddamn Gallagher was in her head again. “You’re still into Ian after all these years.”

“He’s got a fuckin’ kid, Mands.”

“You did too.” She looked right at him.

“That’s different.” He got her there. Because yeah. The circumstances really were different.

“Do you think he’d….” Mandy started.

“Gonna have to ask him, sissy, not me.” Mickey hadn’t even caught the nickname. But he caught the smile that erupted on Mandy’s face.

“The hell you smilin’ at?” His voice came out lighthearted. “You haven’t called me ‘sissy’ in years.” She laughed. That laugh probably hadn’t changed a bit since the fucking first time he called her that.

“Guess I haven’t.” He grinned back gladly. There was a good memory. 

The two had the same cheesy beams on their faces as they passed the blunt back and forth. “You gonna stay this time?”

“Think I might, Mick.”


End file.
